Embedded Video Processing and Radio Unit

The embedded video processing and radio unit (VPRU) is a small, high performance single board computer for capturing and transmission of high definition video and for providing a simple TM/TC interface for the system it is built into.

Functional Overview

Development Approach

The VPRU is going to be developed in three incremental iterations resulting in three prototypes:

First Prototype

This prototype will focus on the video processing functionality and the TM/TC interface. For the radio part, a simple Wi-Fi interface will be used allowing laptops and handheld devices to act as hosts.

Second Prototype

This prototype will focus on the radio unit and implement the transponder functionality.

Third prototype (TBC)

This prototype will focus on adding the pan tilt and zoom functionalities and will be likely to replace the camera unit from the first and second prototypes.

Initial Analysis and Further References

To begin with, two processors from Texas Instruments are evaluated: The TMS320DM355 digital media processor and the OMAP3530 application processor. Both are based on the DaVinci™ technology and contain hardware accelerators for video processing (both front end and backend). While these may not provide the best solution, they are relatively easy and cheap to get started with, because development environments are available in the form of the Beagle Board, the Leopard Board, and the Gumstix series.